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Johnny Walker
John "Johnny" Walker (born in Charleston, South Carolina), better known as Mr. Wrestling II, is considered by many to be the most accomplished masked babyface American professional wrestler. II was one of the most popular wrestlers in the Southeast, Mid Atlantic, Florida and Georgia territories in the mid 1970s to late 1980s. He was considered one of the greatest American wrestlers not to win a world title - mask or no mask. Career Bio Quotes provided by Georgia Wrestling History Before the Mask Johnny Walker's career began in 1956 working occasionally on cards in Hawaii where he grew up. Tony Morelli and Pat O’Connor were the wrestlers who trained Johnny. In 1958, Walker left the islands for his first time going to Toronto, which was a major culture shock. “When I got off the plane there for the first time, I almost turned around and got back on because it was so cold. I got off that airplane in a Hawaiian suit. I thought I was going to freeze to death. I was not a happy camper.” Johnny stayed in the area for a few months. Pat O’Connor was there, and so were Don Curtis, Lord Athol Layton, and Hard Boiled Haggerty (Don Stansauk). In 1959 Walker had moved on to a warmer climate in Texas where Walker and the Amazing Zuma won the WCWA Texas Tag Team Championship for Paul Beosch's promotion. One day while Beosch is watching Walker train (see pic above) Beosch observes Walker's training set which featured Walkers incredible physical flexibility. Those traits led the Houston promoter Paul Boesch to dub Walker “Rubberman” . “One day he was watching me wrestle, and I was extremely flexible at the time. He liked the contortionist moves that I made with my nimble body.” The nickname remained with Walker until the early 1970's. By the early 1960s, Johnny moved on to work as a heel in the new Northeast promotion WWWF for Vince McMahon Sr who had broken away from the NWA along with Gene Kiniski, Don Leo Jonathan, and a young and cocky Bruno Sammartino. One day while they were training Walker taught Sammartino “a smaller guy can beat you if you’re not careful. Strength is not everything. You have to have good balance, coordination, timing, and leverage.” Beginning in the mid-1960s Walker also spent time working for Nick Gulas, a supposed bad paying promoter. “I had a good deal with him. He gave me good guarantees and it worked out alright. I was on top and did well there. A lot of the guys I’ve spoken to say he wasn’t a man of his word, but he kept his word with me.” Next in Tennessee, he had tagged teamed with Silento Rodriguez who was legally deaf – he and Walker had good chemistry anyways. “He just kind of followed suit to what I did. He watched me physically and just kept up with me.” Walker also began working in Georgia during that time pairing often with Jim Wilson, a former football All-American wrestling during his off-seasons from the Atlanta Falcons. “I took him down to the gym and kind of stretched him a little bit and showed him he didn’t know as much about wrestling as he thought he did.” Walker worked all across the U.S. and Canada during that decade, including short stints in San Francisco, Los Angele's, Texas, Portland, and Calgary. The mid-1960s to early-1970s were a great time for Walker, he topped several territories for most of those years, both as a single and with numerous tag partners. Although married he had no problem with the endless traveling and neither did his wife even though in those days wrestlers would literally wrestle 25 days a month. Olivia Walker had her own life as a master seamstress, she made custom jackets & robes for the country music stars of the 1960s such as Porter Wagner and George Jones, as well as Liberace and Broadway actors. These robes were all hand made and expensive. In the mid-1970s she started making Mr Wrestling l & 2's robes, plus Ric Flair's, Paul Orndroff's, Austin Idols and many others. (In his retirement speech Ric Flair thanks "Olivia Walker" for all her hard work) Wearing A Mask In March, 1971 Walker went to wrestle for Eddie Graham in South Florida starting out as a baby face. However at 40 years of age and balding, he looked old and haggard compared to others his age, hence putting him in the mask. "Eddie brought me in as the Grappler," Walker recalled. "Graham knew my background and thought I would fit in well there." At first, Walker didn’t like wearing a mask. "It was very difficult to work with," he remembered. "The first time I wore it, as soon as the match was over I ran back to the dressing room so I could rip it off. I was gasping for air. But I got used to it eventually, and I was very successful with it." After a couple of months he started a program of matches against the "Original Grappler"Len Denton, Walker only wrestled as the "Grappler" for 5 months before unmasking to compete against Bobby Duncum for his Brass Knuckles Title. "If Duncum wants my mask off, says the Grappler. I'll take it off...if he puts up his brass knuckles title on the line." He lost the match after unmasking as Johnny Walker. His next series of matches were against Tim Woods who was wrestling with a knee brace as a heel. The matches involved $500 which Mr. Wrestling had lost to Johnny Walker. The two then had a series of matches with Mr Wrestling failing to win back his $500. Finally Mr. Wrestling put up his Mask vs Walker's Hair and the $500. Walker in fact lost this match, the $500 and his hair. In January 1972 Walker and Mr. Wrestling tagged together for the first time in Florida with Walker again a heel. "we were like two peas from the same pod in the ring together" stated Walker. Johnny Walker at this time became semiretired and though wrestling occasionally owned and operated his own gas station outside Atlanta. However the next phase of Rubberman Walker's career rebirth was around the corner. Atlanta's Promotion War After Ray Gunkel's sudden death following a match in August 1972, a promotional war in Atlanta started during that November. Almost everyone working for the Atlanta NWA's booking office, plus the local promoters left the N.W.A. and went to work for Ray Gunkel's widow, Ann, in her new All-South Wrestling Alliance except for Bob Armstrong. (See Dave Meltzer's book Tributes 2: Remembering Some of the World's Greatest Wrestlers page 182). ::Gunkel's widow was a young beautiful ex-professional model who had her husband's controlling interest in the Atlanta office. Ann having learned the business from her husband, was determined to run the promotion. Her husbands partners Lester Welch plus his son Buddy Fuller were pro wrestlers as was promoter (ex-wrestler)Paul Jones and they were not pleased to have her trying to run the show. Days before the Thanksgiving day show these men closed the Altanta booking office she had shares in, these men then reopened the Atlanta office using a new corporate name the same day without her. ::The Atlanta N.W.A. office staff and workers however were loyal to Ray & Ann Gunkel and retaliated. The next day the NWA's Atlanta booking office woke up to an ''Atlanta Journal headline story, the story was about all how the new promotions office staff, wrestlers, plus the rest of the local NWA promoters except for Fred Ward had left the N.W.A. en masse and joined Ann Gunkel's outlaw All-South Wrestling Alliance. Gunkel then booked a competing show for Thanksgiving day in a Atlanta suburb. Only Bob Armstrong and Rock Hunter who had missed the walk out meeting showed up for Fred Ward's N.W.A. Nov 22 Wednesday night NWA wrestling show in Columbus Ga. Ann Gunkel's outlaw All South Wrestling Alliance lasted just 2 yrs before being bought out by Jim Barnett an Aussie promoter who also bought into Georgia Championship Wrestling.'' Rare All South Wrestling Matches Mr. Wrestling II vs Don Sanders - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Poh6vNbPXJM&feature=related Rich/Oates vs Horn/Jarvis http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XRYz4r7byI0&feature=related The Birth of Mr. Wrestling II Because of the promotions war, N.W.A. Atlanta promoter Paul Jones needed to rebuild his booking office. The Thanksgiving day matches that were the back bone of the company getting through the winter months was in deep trouble, without these matches the N.W.A Atlanta booking office of Paul Jones may have never recovered. With assistance from promoters Eddie Graham, Fred Ward and Jerry Jarrett, among others, wrestlers were sent in from all over the South to save the Atlanta booking office and get the promotion back on its feet. Walker who was running his gas station outside Atlanta was a logical choice has he was close by. (Fred Ward's money & help was so desperately needed he was given 20% of the new Atlanta booking office and a NWA vice presidency) Leo Garibaldi, a former Atlanta Booker, returned to Atlanta as a wrestler to help Jones. Jones then talked Garibladi into being the booker again, Garibaldi wanted to bring Tim Woods back, who, as Mr. Wrestling, had in the late 60's & early 1970 several great runs in Georgia. However, Woods was already topping cards in Graham's Florida territory, so was unavailable. Graham however did agree to bring in Woods occasionally, but not for the rebuilding process. Instead Graham/Garibaldi then came up with Plan B: Graham, remembering how well Walker and Woods worked together in Florida, they decided to create a second Mr. Wrestling. Enter Johnny Walker who lived and worked literally minutes away, "Leo asked me to come here and take the mask to become Mr. Wrestling #2," reported Walker, later. January 1973 was the first appearance of Mr. Wrestling 1 and 2 in Promoters Paul Jones Atlanta promotion. Mr Wrestling announced in the ring that because he had commitments in Florida that would not allow him to return to Atlanta full time to battle the legion of heels in the area, so he had found a wrestler who would fulfill the ideals of Mr Wrestling and continue fighting the war against the heels as he would. Mr Wrestling then introduced Wrestling 2 to the packed house. Walker was an immediate hit with the Georgia fans as Mr. Wrestling II, Walker as II developed a fiery interview style and rough as needed wrestling style, these traits were exactly the opposite of Mr. Wrestling's soft spoken humble speech & wrestling style in Georgia. Walker also wrestled several times that year on Paul Jones Atlanta cards as both Johnny Walker and Mr. Wrestling II during a card exposing his trademark "rubberman" back shiver so that fans in the know knew who he really was. July 1973} Beginning A Feud Mr Wrestling (Tim Woods) was brought back from Florida into Atlanta regularly to wrestle against Harley Race, as No. 1 contender to the N.W.A. Heavyweight Title. Traditionally the No.1 contender was the Georgia Heavyweight Champion. More times then not this was Mr Wrestling 2 as he became a 10 time Georgia Heavyweight Champion through the mid to late 70's and II was getting antsy not getting his share of title matches. This started to cause friction between the two as Wrestling II began to make his resentment known that he as Georgia Heavyweight Champion should be receiving the bulk of NWA Title shots in Georgia and not Mr Wrestling who was still wrestling mostly in Florida. Mr Wrestling vs Wrestling II Feud The feud between 1 & 2 started because Mr Wrestling agreed to unmask to get a Title match against Champion Harley Race. On June 1, 1973 (Friday) at the Omni Coliseum Mr. Wrestling #1 had announced he would unmask before his NWA Title match against Race, and did as promised, revealing himself as Tim Woods. (Remember these were the days that local promotions weren't seen outside their local areas so most Georgia fans had no idea the Woods was wrestling in Florida as a heel or that he'd unmasked twice already) This feud was a booking maneuver by the new Booker Jerry Jarret as Masked Wrestlers had wrestled the NWA Champion with their masks on many times and would have unmask only if they won the title under NWA bylaws. By the way this was a reversal of the 1972 feud where Johnny Walker lost a Hair vs Mask match with Tim Woods. Wrestling 2 was furious that Mr Wrestling was willing to give up his mask just to get a chance at the World title held by Harley Race. This issue led to a series of matches over the next few months between the two men, semi-friendly at first but becoming increasingly contentious to the point that 1 match became a unmasked Tim Woods Hair vs. Mr. Wrestling 2's mask. The hair versus mask match was the [http://www.georgiawrestlinghistory.com/cards-results/1970s/1974-1.html Feb 10, Main Event at the monthly Omni super card and the unmasked Woods did the "honors" (putting over) in the feud as Walker loaded his mask and knocked out Mr Wrestling to win the match thus requiring Tim Wood's head to be shaved in the middle of the ring with a gloating Wrestling II watching on. Woods & II (who now insisted on being called Mr. Wrestling) continued to feud for a short time with Woods donning his mask again to hide his bald head and winning some but losing most of the rematches throughout the territory to the heel Wrestling II. This was the first of only 2 times in Walker's time as Wrestling II that he wrestled as a heel. The second time was when II turned on Magnum T.A. costing them the Southeastern Tag team Title in a lost to the Midnight Express. (The turn was explained later as Wrestling II's way to toughen up Magnum T.A. who lacked a killer instinct at the time) Finally Wrestling 2 and Woods had a famous tv studio meeting where II literally laid a hatchet down on the announcer Ed Carpal's podium in Columbus Ga. and declared the feud as over thus reuniting the pair to continue their war against the hated Assassins. They repeated this making peace scene at the next CWG taping with Gordon Solie as host. Wrestling 1 & 2 became such a hot draw against the Assassins (Joe Hamilton & Ray Hernandez) that the 2 teams headlined many a sell out throughout the Mid Atlantic, Georgia, Florida & Southeastern territories. For the next 15 years Wrestling II and the Masked Assassin who also used the "Flame" persona in Southeastern Championship Federation continued their battles against each other. Their feud is considered the longest continuous feud in wrestling bar none. Youtube video Mr Wrestling 2 vs Fake Mr Wrestling (Jesse Barr)http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AxaW6mh4jg0&feature=related vs Austin Idol (10k Bounty Match)http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rMP5Z6jZkuM&feature=related vs Reed/Neidhart (Title Cage Match)http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7PHJLHHTbrk vs Jerry Lawler (CWA) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dd6yqqOa7T4&feature=related Legacy Walker dominated Georgia Championship Wrestling, as Mr. Wrestling II during his tenure, he won the first of 10 Georgia Heavyweight Titles on March 2, 1973 but his legacy is surprisingly overlooked and underrated during today's WWE dominion over the sport. Walker far surpassed the popularity of Mr. Wrestling (Tim Woods) throughout the Carolina s', Georgia, Florida and the Deep South regions in his 15 years as Mr. Wrestling II. Former President Jimmy Carter (a fellow Georgian) called II his favorite wrestler (as well as his mother's favorite). There is an urban legend that is undocumented, that claims that II was invited to President Carter's Inauguration party, but (naturally) the Secret Service would not let a man wearing a mask in to any affair with the President. It is said II had the Secret Service relay his regards to the President, but refused to unmask. Another legend which was actually a fact was that Wrestling 2 never traveled with out his wrestling mask on, he also had a special Mask just for eating. He was also 1 of the few wrestlers allowed to show up during the taping of tv wrestling shows and because of tight driving schedules allowed to schedule his tv matches as he saw fit. If there wasn't time for a match II would do a promo, a run in or whatever he had time for and then continue on his way. He would literally drive from the Altanta N.W.A. GCW tv taping on Sat morning, to Macon for another tv taping, to Fred Wards Columbus Championship Wrestling tv taping all on Sat morning plus then continue on to wherever he was wrestling live that day. Johnny Walkers wrestling career lasted an astounding 32 years, remember these were the days of wrestling 25 days a month and sometimes 2 to 4 times a day. Astoundingly all the traveling was by car and in 50's thru the 80's this was almost always done on secondary roads involving thousands of miles of dangerous driving a week. Dozens of his compatriots were killed or crippled in cars accidents during those 32 years. Walker wrestled in almost every major territory in the U.S., Canada, plus many times in Japan. He retired to Hawaii and at this time (April 2011) is alive but having health issues, ( recovery from a stroke & bypass surgery ). When he was healthy he returned regularly to Columbus Ga. for reunions with his loyal fans, Columbus/Macon fans were always the most rapid supporters of both Wrestling 1 and 2. June 2011 Walker has recovered his health and in Aug will be at The Atlanta NWA Fan fest and will be auctioning 1 of his robes during the Fan fest. Birth of Wrestling III In 2006 - 2007 Wrestling II supposedly came out of retirement & helped train a group of wrestlers for the defunct Don Muraco’s AWA connected Hawaiian Championship Wrestling. Wrestling II also announced a passing of the Mask with the creation of a officially approved Mr. Wrestling 3 who is Steve Corino, "King Of Old School". Mr Wrestling II & III then won the groups Tag Titles defeating the team of Manu Samoa to win the HCW Kekaulike World Tag Team Titles October 13, 2007 with II using his running knee lift as his only move in the ring. Wrestling II was jumped before the rematch and was replaced & retired again. (http://www.onlineworldofwrestling.com/results/hcw/) Notable Facts Finishing maneuver *Running knee lift & pin Trained or mentored wrestlers * Magnum TA * Rick Rude * Tony Atlas * Hercules Hernandez Notable Feuds * The Assassin * The Spoiler * The Masked Superstar * Jack Brisco * Buddy Colt * Magnum TA * Jimmy Garvin * Tim Woods * Minnesota Wrecking Crew * Larry Zbyszko * The Road Warriors Championships and accomplishments As Johnny (Rubberman) Walker * NWA Mid-America World Tag Team Champion w/ Len Rossi (9/68 - 11/13/68) * NWA Southern Tag Team Champion w/ Ken Lucas (2/02/69 - 2/69) * NWA Southern Tag Team Champion (2) w/ Ken Lucas (3/13/69 - 69) * NWA Southern Tag Team Champion (3) w/ Bob Ramstead (4/28/69 - 5/19/69) * NWA Mid-America World Tag Team Champion (2) w/ Len Rossi (69) * NWA Southern Tag Team Champion (4) w/ Sundown Kid (6/09/69 - 6/16/69) * NWA Mid-America World Tag Team Champion (3) w/ Bearcat Brown (6/21/69 - 6/28/69) * NWA Mid-America World Tag Team Champion (4) w/ Bearcat Brown (7/09/69 - 69) * NWA Southern Tag Team Champion (5) w/ Dennis Hall (8/11/69 - 10/06/69) * NWA Southern Tag Team Champion (6) w/ Dennis Hall (1/19/70 - 70) * NWA United States Junior Heavyweight Champion (3/70 - 70) * NWA United States Junior Heavyweight Champion(2) (7/28/70 - 11/25/70) * NWA Southern Tag Team Champion (7) w/ Tojo Yamamoto (8/24/70 - 9/07/70) * NWA Southern Junior Heavyweight Champion (9/21/70 - ??) * NWA Florida Southern Heavyweight Champion (3/23/71 - 4/14/71) * NWA United States Junior Heavyweight Champion (3) (72) * NWA Florida Tag Team Champion w/ Boris Malenko (6/24/72 - 6/29/72 As Mr. Wrestling ll * NWA Georgia Heavyweight Champion (1/73 - 5/18/73) * NWA Georgia Southeastern Tag Team Champion w/ Bill Dromo (4/73 - 4/25/73) * NWA Georgia Tag Team Champion w/ Bob Orton Jr (6/09/73 - 8/73) * NWA Georgia Heavyweight Champion (2) (8/31/73 - 11/73) * NWA Georgia Heavyweight Champion (3) (1/11/74 - 7/05/74) * NWA Georgia Tag Team Champion (2) w/ Tim Woods (8/02/74 - 8/16/74) * NWA Georgia Heavyweight Champion (4) (8/30/74 - 9/13/74) * NWA Georgia Tag Team Champion (3) w/ Mr. Wrestling I (9/06/74 - 9/20/74) * NWA Georgia Heavyweight Champion (5) (10/03/75 - 11/27/75) * NWA Georgia Heavyweight Champion (6) (10/26/76 - 11/25/76) * NWA Georgia Tag Team Champion (4) w/ Mr. Wrestling I (1/14/77 - 2/25/77) * NWA World Tag Team Champion w/ Mr. Wrestling I (77) * NWA Georgia Heavyweight Champion (7) (7/22/77 - 9/77) * NWA Georgia Heavyweight Champion (8) (78 - 2/06/78) * NWA Georgia Tag Team Champion (5) w/ Tony Atlas (2/78 - 3/78) * NWA Georgia Heavyweight Champion (9) (10/16/78 - 1/06/79) * NWA Tri-State/Mid-South North American Heavyweight Champion (2/16/79 - 9/05/79) * NWA Georgia Heavyweight Champion (10) (1/12/80 - 3/29/80) * NWA Georgia Tag Team Champion (6) w/ Mr. Wrestling I (9/19/80 - 10/10/80) * NWA Florida Heavyweight Champion (12/81 - 3/82) * NWA Florida Heavyweight Champion (2) (4/82 - 5/82) * Mid-South Mississippi Heavyweight Champion (11/27/82 - 8/83) * Mid-South Tag Team Champion w/ Tiger Conway Jr (3/12/83 - 4/13/83) * Mid-South Tag Team Champion (2) w/ Magnum TA (12/25/83 - 3/12/84) * Mid-South North American Heavyweight Champion(2) (3/12/84 - 5/13/84) * NWA Southeastern Continental Heavyweight Champion (8/84 - 11/84) * NWA Alabama Heavyweight Champion (4/27/87 - 6/14/87) * AWA HCW Kekaulike World Tag Team Titles (10/13/07 - 1/12/08) Mr Wrestling 2 Unmasked in Apter Interview http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hKzb7cP6GtY&feature=related Radio Interview June 2011 Most detailed radio interview 2 has done in years http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dI86yZzj1Bg&feature=related Category:1938 births Category:American wrestlers Category:Championship Wrestling From Florida alumni Category:Continental Championship Wrestling alumni Category:Continental Wrestling Association alumni Category:Deep South Wrestling alumni Category:Georgia Championship Wrestling alumni Category:Hawaii Championship Wrestling alumni Category:Universal Wrestling Federation (Bill Watts) alumni Category:World Class Wrestling Association alumni Category:1956 debuts